[identity profile] ocko-okate.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] life_wo_fanlib



Hi everybody,

I´ve been following the developments on the FanLib website pretty closely in the last past days and I have been especially worried about this new challenge/event/thingie that launched yesterday: startrek.fanlib.com (direct link to Fanlib here). 

First thing I want to say, is that I´m a huge fan of Star Trek for more than 15 years, have seen all the films, all the series (except the last one, that was a bit too much) and have about 70 Star Trek novels on my bookshelf. So I can understand, that while this may be a huge thing for me, people who don´t care about Star Trek probably won´t be that much interested. But I´m not going to talk only about Star Trek here, trust me :) FanLib issues follow right behind the cut.

 

(italics cited right from the startrek.fanlib.com site)

From June 13th to July 20th 2007, FanLib and CBS Interactive, along with Star Trek luminaries, invite you to join thousands of fans online to collectively create an original Star Trek adventure — one scene at a time.

Basically, they have posted four possible storylines on their forums, all concerning some sort of clash between Kirk and Picard (don´t ask me why, I´ve never been that much obsessed with the two of them meeting or fighting or what ever). While this is all fine and nice, I can´t stop thinking, that the only thing they are trying to do, is to get new ideas for the new Star Trek movie, Star Trek XI (Wikipedia link), which has been in the talks for quite a while already and has the same premise: Kirk vs. Picard.


Those are they official storylines so far (I personally am not that impressed with them):

1) THE RETURN OF KHAN
Enterprise-D returns from a three-month, long-range recon mission beyond our galaxy and makes a shocking discovery: the Federation has been all but obliterated.

Picard learns that a renegade human colony, established nearly a century ago by James T. Kirk on Ceti-Alpha V, waged a surprise attack against Earth, and won. Picard quickly realizes the time-line has somehow been altered. The notorious Khan was not killed in an epic battle with Kirk fifteen years after he was exiled on that remote planet...

Picard orders Enterprise-D to go back in time to confront both Kirk and Khan in a desperate gambit to restore the time-line -- and the future of the Federation.



2) HISTORY LESSON
James T. Kirk is on a top-secret historical mission to present-day Earth. Someone from the future is trying to alter Earth's past, and Kirk has been ordered to find and stop him. But Kirk isn't the only agent visiting our era from the future: Jean-Luc Picard is also here, and his mission is to track down Kirk!

A game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Picard befriends Kirk and gains his confidence, all the while concealing his identity as a fellow starship Captain from the future. Picard has been told by Starfleet Command that Kirk is going to tamper with history by preventing one of the defining events of the 21st century. Picard has orders to stop Kirk, even if it means killing him.



3) PRISONER OF TIME
Enterprise-D discovers an escape pod floating in the void. Sensors show one human lifesign, in cryonic suspension. They beam the pod aboard and discover the occupant is James T. Kirk.

Picard orders Crusher to revive him. Kirk is amazed to find himself alive, so many years into the future -- he didn't expect there to be a future! That means there's still time... Kirk warns of an impending threat to the galaxy. But his behavior is paranoid, almost delusional. Crusher warns Picard that brain damage is often a consequence of long-term hibernation, but Kirk insists that he's completely sane, and unless Picard takes him deep into the heart of Romulan territory on what may well be a suicide mission, the entire galaxy - and every living being in it -- will be destroyed.

When Picard refuses to cross the neutral zone, Kirk steals into the Battle Bridge, separates from the saucer section, and heads into Romulan territory. Picard has no choice but to pursue...



4) THE GUARDIAN OF FOREVER
The Guardian of Forever is malfunctioning -- or possibly going insane. Time-quakes are erupting from it, throwing an entire sector of space into chaos. Kirk is ordered to investigate, but the Enterprise becomes trapped in a temporal eddy.

A tractor beam from another Federation ship pulls Enterprise to safety. Kirk is shocked to discover that the other ship is Enterprise-D! From the perspective of Kirk and his crew, only a few hours have passed since they entered the Guardian's system, but the temporal eddy has thrown them nearly a century into the future.

The time-quakes are becoming more violent, and could eventually spread throughout the galaxy. Kirk wants to destroy the Guardian immediately, but Picard argues that would be immoral - the Guardian is a unique, sentient being.

As the two Captains clash, the surprising source of the Guardian's malfunction is discovered... but is it too late to save this mysterious gateway to the past?


So, people are supposed to vote for one of these storylines, which then get´s picked up and the "writing event" starts:


Round Scene Mission Posted Submission Period Finalists Posted Online Judging Period Winning Scene announced
1 June 20, 2007 June 20, 2007 - June 25, 2007 June 27, 2007 June 27, 2007 - June 29, 2007 June 29, 2007
2 June 29, 2007 June 29, 2007 - July 2, 2007 July 4, 2007 July 4, 2007 - July 6, 2007 July 6, 2007
3 July 6, 2007 July 6, 2007 - July 9, 2007 July 11, 2007 July 11, 2007 - July 13, 2007 July13, 2007
4 July 13, 2007 July 13, 2007 - July 16, 2007 July 18, 2007 July 18, 2007 - July 20, 2007 July 20, 2007

At the beginning of each round (starting June 20th), KvP Mission Director, will post a "Scene Mission" containing plot-points and directions to help keep our story on-track. After reading the Scene Mission, you'll have the chance to write and submit your own scene (or series of scenes), rate and discuss scenes written by others, or do it all.


All other issues aside, what quite surprised me there is the unbelievably short submission period: I mean, five days for writing a scene, or a series of scenes? Isn´t that just a bit too little time to do some quality thinking less alone writing? Maybe it is just me, but I usually need at least a couple of days to either form an idea in my head or play with the one that already has been proposed. Then writing, rewriting, correcting and what about sending the whole thing to a beta? Five days? NO WAY! Or...?

So, anybody else having ideas about this? 

And a tiny little part of me can´t stop being angry and sad, that the whole contest again is only for US citizens.... no insult here, folks, but why should only US fans be able to actually have a say in what will probably be the next Star Trek movie? I mean, we are here too, goddamnit, and there is more of us in the other parts of the world than in the whole USA!


All thing writen in this post are my personal opinion and when it comes to the factual side they may be completely wrong. I´m just a fan.

Date: 2007-06-14 05:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] troubleinchina.livejournal.com
Wasn't that last one basically the plot of one of the Star Trek novels that dealt with the consequences of Zarabeth's son Zar? (Well, without the Enterprise D in it, but the Time Quakes and stuff?)

*sigh*

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From: [identity profile] dragonbat2006.livejournal.com - Date: 2007-06-15 06:16 pm (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2007-06-14 05:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aerynvala.livejournal.com
Um...but in Star Trek: Generations Kirk and Picard already met. And Kirk died. I mean, that's what it says on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Generations) and that's how I remembered it.

And an original series character crossing the Romulan Neutral Zone and causing troubles? That sounds so terribly familiar *cough*Spock*cough*.

Good freaking lord.

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Date: 2007-06-14 05:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] impysh.livejournal.com
Looks like the marketing pdf. was absolutely accurate, desite their claims that that was all a "previous incarnation" of Fanib. I'm decidedly unsurprised.

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Date: 2007-06-14 05:25 pm (UTC)
elf: Can't spell slaughter without laughter (Slaughter)
From: [personal profile] elf
I firmly believe Fanlib was created by people who thought fanfiction was "writing contests plus a bit more." Quick, gimme two hundred words describing Clark & Lois getting married; best submission wins a free third-season DVD collection.

Five days? Did you see the later ones? Three days.

And of course the contest is for everyone, but only U.S. Citizens get prizes. Everyone else will write for the joy of writing, and that's the whole point of fanarchives, right?

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From: [personal profile] elf - Date: 2007-06-14 07:12 pm (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2007-06-14 05:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angiepen.livejournal.com
About the Americans-only thing, my first thought is that it's a legal problem. Some legal clash, whether it's copyright law or something about a prize being awarded or whatever, means that there's some complication with opening the contest to non-US citizens.

Or, keeping in mind that so far as the Trek people are concerned, this is just a marketing event, they might've just decided that this is part of their marketing campaign aimed at the American audience, period, and that's whom they want involved. [shrug]

About the short scene deadlines thing, keep in mind that it's only one scene that has to be done in five days. No one's asking anyone to write a whole story here. Writers will be given instructions -- I'm expecting something that's essentially an outline -- so the writers won't have to actually figure out what happens except in close detail. It'll mostly be a matter of figuring out how to put the actual words together, the actual dialogue and actions and such; the plot points are all given.

Also, someone (Chris W?) mentioned a couple of times while defending FanLib that it Does Too!! benefit the fans because someone from an earlier contest sponsored by one of the book publishers got a publishing contract out of their win. Assuming there's any chance at all that someone from the winning pool of fans might get a chance to do some in-canon, for-pay writing for the studio, then it's not too surprising they're putting a tight deadline on it. [ponder]

If the Trek people are scouting for new screenwriting talent here along with their marketing thing then I can see them being interested in seeing who performs well under pressure. Harlan Ellison (who wrote "City on the Edge of Forever) has famously sneered at Hollywood because "they don't want it good, they want it Thursday," and it's essentially true. Deadlines are more important than quality when you get right down to it. And David Gerrold (who wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles") in his book about the writing and filming of "Tribbles" described how he got an appointment to go pitch story ideas for the original series. He'd developed three ideas ahead of time (I think it was three, maybe five) and during the meeting with... Roddenberry, and I think some other guys, producers and directors maybe? (I haven't read this in like twenty-five years, sorry :P) they blasted through all his prepared ideas, none of which were usable for whatever reason, and kept saying, "What else do you have? What else? What else?" and he had to come up with several more story ideas right there, bam, while sitting in the office with these men staring at him.

It's just part of being a screenwriter -- you have to be able to crank out ideas by the handful because the vast majority of them won't work. And when they need the whole script next week they mean next week and when they need eight pages cut and the bleeding wounds of the story patched by lunchtime, they mean by lunchtime.

One other David Gerrold story -- he wrote the original script for "Tribbles" on a twelve pitch typewriter when the standard was ten. The usual rule of thumb was that the scripts came out to approximately a minute of air-time per page of script but his was significantly longer. He really did have to sit there on the set and cut out a chunk of the script, Right Now, and make sure the story worked just as well afterward.

So yeah, I can see why they're putting the time crunch on, if there's any chance they might want to tap someone who shows promise and give them a shot at pro writing.

[Continued on Next Rock...]

Date: 2007-06-14 05:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angiepen.livejournal.com
[...Continued from Previous Rock]

One thing I notice is that there's only four scenes in the competition. Unless you only posted a small fraction of the scenes listed, maybe just as an example? But it looks like the vast majority of the script is being done by the professionals from the ground up. Now, we know that the pros are going to go over the winning fan scenes with a sandblaster anyway, but good grief! Only four scenes?? With people writing to an outline (and forced to "color inside the lines") there's no good reason they can't let the fans take a crack at all the scenes. They're not obligated to pick up on any of the fan-written stuff for the actual movie, so it's no skin off their nose to let the fans at least have a shot at the whole thing.

[more pondering]

OK, I've thought of something. :) They might want to insert some Neato-Keen stuff into the movie, whichever story it ends up being (and there's no guarantee that the storyline the fans vote for is going to be the one the studio films, or for that matter any guarantee that the one [or the few, if they're still considering script ideas] is even in the batch they're throwing out here, but let's say it is) they they might want to keep this stuff a secret before the movie's released and so they aren't going to let anything close to those secret plot points show up in the writing event.

And something else, LOL! Assuming there's a possibility that they might want to use some of the stuff the fans come up with, the studio might be on a deadline which requires anything grabbable to be done by X date. Since FanLib just got off the ground, they couldn't do the event much sooner so they're pressed for time.

Angie

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Date: 2007-06-14 05:53 pm (UTC)
beckyblack: (Default)
From: [personal profile] beckyblack
1) THE RETURN OF KHAN

Ooh, this one's the winner! Of my personal "Stupidest Things I've Ever Heard" contest that is.

I was initially amazed that Star Trek PTB would stoop this low. Then I recalled the actresses who had to be sewn into their costumes and thought "meh, shoulda known."

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From: [identity profile] chichiri-no-da.livejournal.com - Date: 2007-06-15 12:22 am (UTC) - Expand

Date: 2007-06-14 06:38 pm (UTC)
elf: Can't spell slaughter without laughter (Slaughter)
From: [personal profile] elf
Worth noting, from the rules page:

"By agreeing to these Official Rules, with the exception of any Property incorporated into the Submission, Participant grants Property Owner all right, title and interest in and to any content and Submission provided by Participant, including the right to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publicly perform and display and create derivative works from the Submission. To the extent required under the applicable copyright laws regarding ownership of the Submission, the Submission will be considered works made for hire or, if not legally capable of being considered as such, then and in such event Participant hereby irrevocably assigns to Property Owner or its designee all right, title and interest in and to the Submission."

(Emphasis added)

Which means you can't post your submission in your Fanlib collection afterwards. At least, not if Paramount doesn't want you to.

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Date: 2007-06-14 08:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kitesareevil.livejournal.com
I heard about this about a week ago (had other things going on and forgot to post it!). Apparently Wil Wheaton and George Takei are backing it, too. Here's the link (http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/store/news/article/53297.html) to the original news letter on StarTrek.com

Wil Wheaton and George Takei...my heroes are betraying me! ;_;

Date: 2007-06-14 08:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] killersharky.livejournal.com
I don't think they really know what's going on from the fan writers' side of it. FanLib has big backers and lots of flash. They can be easily forgiven for getting sucked up in it.

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Date: 2007-06-14 08:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oneiriad.livejournal.com
I wonder how they'd react if they wound up with a pile of Kirk/Picard slash and nothing else...

Date: 2007-06-14 11:55 pm (UTC)
nic: (Default)
From: [personal profile] nic
That sounds like a dare.

Or a challenge.

Could we, the community, do it?!

Date: 2007-06-15 12:02 am (UTC)
nic: (Default)
From: [personal profile] nic
As someone who's kind of in the Trek fandom, I don't think it's related to a new movie at all:

- The current Star Trek film they're talking about goes back to the Academy days (Kirk and Spock as 20-somethings).

- It's been rumoured that Shatner is far too expensive these days, and regardless, he won't draw an audience like a 'younger, hotter' Kirk will

- Kirk versus Picard was the stuff of (male) fans dreams when TNG first started. For years, people debated Kirk vs Picard on forums and dedicated websites to it. It turned into the 'classic Star Trek Fanboy joke'. I suspect FanLib doesn't realise that joke/interest/whatever is YEARS out of date now. We're all watching BSG and Heroes instead.


So as someone suggested earlier, this does seem like an attempt to get the male fans into writing. And at the same time, garner more positive press for Fanlib (particularly given that 'Big Name' Trek actors are supporting the competition).

And yes, I'm p*ssed that as a non-US citizen I'm not eligible to win. Nothing inspires fandom community like geographical division, right? :p

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Date: 2007-06-15 12:15 am (UTC)
ext_18106: (Moses guarding God's fanfiction)
From: [identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com
....none of those sound goood.... o.O

Date: 2007-06-15 12:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scarah2.livejournal.com
Let's all submit some really really NC-17 Kirk/Picard with all the weirdest kinks we can think of.

Date: 2007-06-15 02:54 am (UTC)
ext_6922: (psych_lassiter)
From: [identity profile] serafina20.livejournal.com
Someone once wrote a Kahn Returns script for a contest. I read about it years ago in some magazine (Platinum). Kirk wasn't in it, but I find it odd that they'd hold a contest and use an idea that won another contest.

(Not that anyone probably remebers the script or anything).

Sulu! No!

Date: 2007-06-15 10:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stewardess.livejournal.com
There is a short press-released based article on this here. Warning for extremely painful marketing speak:

http://www.cinemablend.com/technology/Settle-The-Most-Important-Debate-In-ST-KvP-4715.html

I am deeply bummed George Takei is involved, but he probably doesn't really know what it is about. I doubt he is lending more than his name.

Makes me wonder: Takei is tuned in to the Trek fandom, isn't he? Would he listen to fan requests that he not get involved? Or does he need the check? I think this sucks, but Takei deserves every penny he can get. *g*

Re: Sulu! No!

Date: 2007-06-15 02:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] st-crispins.livejournal.com
Takei may feel it's actually supporting Fandom and he's being a good guy. He's guest starred in those Trek "new voyages" episodes made for the web:

http://www.newvoyages.com/

He probably sees this as an extension of that.

Date: 2007-06-15 11:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] troubleinchina.livejournal.com
I think this interesting:

Our users have posted a total of 3,833 messages
We have 4,249 registered users

Which is really low turnout for a forum, really....

Date: 2007-06-15 07:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragonbat2006.livejournal.com
And on most forums only a very small percentage of members actually post. The rest just lurk.

Date: 2007-06-15 11:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] somedaybitch.livejournal.com
wow. those are all deeply, deeply lame.

:::closes eyes, puts fingers in ears, and continues to hope that Abrams is going to simply revisit the Original:::

Date: 2007-06-15 01:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] soren-nyrond.livejournal.com
Vagrant thought.

Is it me ? Is it deliberate ? Or has someone not noticed that the Enterprise-D is so much wreckage (unless they were going to re-con everything in the last few movies) ?

If you really wanted an up-to-date spin on Kirk-vs-Picard (with a fanwank tip-of-the-hat), what about having Picard faced with a Kirk in command of some lethally large Dreadnaught, behind whom is the crazed C29 Captain Braxton, who is using Kirk as a front ("because who will kill the Hero of the Federation" ?), having told him that the future Federation has been taken over by humans, who are planning mass genocide using (say) concealed weapons of destruction.

Or not. As the case may be.
I can't get FanLib (the site) to work for me anyway.

Soren the Lurker Nyrond

Date: 2007-06-15 02:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fspider.livejournal.com
Everyone's posting the nice, thinky, broader-picture questions, so mine is only:
When Picard refuses to cross the neutral zone, Kirk steals into the Battle Bridge, separates from the saucer section, and heads into Romulan territory. Picard has no choice but to pursue...

With what, impulse?

Date: 2007-06-15 07:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragonbat2006.livejournal.com
lol! Maybe they hijack a nearby ship that has transwarp...

Wil Thinks We're Jealous of FanLib

Date: 2007-06-16 01:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stewardess.livejournal.com
Someone asked Wil if he knew fanfiction writers think FanLib blows chunks. His answer is depressing:

http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2007/06/a_good_year_to_.html#comment-72776250

Keep in mind that fan fiction writers have been around for decades, and there is no shortage of people who are pissed off that some new kid on the block is playing in their pool. I also wouldn't discount the possibility that some of the longer-standing "old guard" fanic people with established presences online would have a very good reason to spread some Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt about FanLib. Actually, I'd be surprised if they didn't.

FanLib is the new kid on the block. Wow. *stares off into space*

Wil, the new kid is peeing in our pool. Also: he bites. He is not ready for pre-school. Do not play with him.

*gacked from Fandom Lounge (http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_lounge/532466.html)*

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